I don't see that I was in any way inconsistent. I may have been incomplete, but I can't write a book out here.
In the past I have consistently maintained that all controlled access highways, as opposed to local road networks, be solely toll funded. Same with "canals" such as the Upper Mississippi River. That's really the only way to link benefits with costs and ensure that money isn't wasted building pork barrel projects. That would "Level the Playing Field". But it just ain't gonna' happen. Politicians just love to buy votes too much. (Adam Smith had this whole transportation funding thing for "High Roads" and canals figured out in the 18th Century. Not that Senator Foghorn ever read Smith.)
It is unreasonable to expect the government to go back and correct the results of its past errors. It would be like a bad surgeon going back in to fix what he/she screwed up the first time. They have no ability to fix what they screwed up, so they just shouldn't even try. They'll just make it worse.
We are where we are. That's it. We have to move forward from here, not from where we should be. What we can do is learn from their past mistakes and hopefully not repeat those mistakes. Unfortunately, there are people (some on this forum) who have an unfounded belief that the government has some kind of mystical power and can know things that cannot be known. They'll always believe that another program, more of other peoples' money, a new law, or a new regulation will solve the problems. It won't.
We do have an imperfect competition in transportation as the result of past government actions. Primarily regulatory actions. But, as Kahn said, even imperfect competition will always produce a better outcome than regulation.
What's done is done. Learn from the mistakes and move forward from here.
Greyhound, I am in complete agreement with that statement and the reasons for it.
Anyone who reads the Pacific Railroad Acts of 1862 and 64 and what came with them may come to believe it too.
greyhoundsIn the past I have consistently maintained that all controlled access highways, as opposed to local road networks, be solely toll funded. Same with "canals" such as the Upper Mississippi River. That's really the only way to link benefits with costs and ensure that money isn't wasted building pork barrel projects. That would "Level the Playing Field". But it just ain't gonna' happen. Politicians just love to buy votes too much.
That sounds like a statement I could have made.
This seems odd but the Big John rate case was protecting the interests of the barge company's against the big bad N&W railroad. I find it odd that a railfan would defend the trucking industry
The idea is to reduce pollution by cutting down on long haul trucking and have trucks do the first and last mile..
The Big John rate case involved the Southern Ry, not the Norfolk & Western.
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